1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of loading ramps, and is more specifically directed to a vehicle loading ramp that is inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, lightweight, compactly storable, and readily repairable.
2. Description of Related Art
Loading ramps are commonly used to facilitate moving, loading, and transporting a wide variety of items from one elevation to another. Of particular interest, vehicle loading ramps are known and used to load vehicles such as motorcycles, lawnmowers, and all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) for transport to other locations. For example, ATV users often have to transport their vehicles to areas where the ATVs can be used. This typically requires loading the ATV onto a trailer, truck, or other transport to haul the ATV to a location where it is unloaded. Loading and unloading the ATV usually requires the use of vehicle ramps whereby the ATV can be driven on and off the transport.
Vehicle ramps are commonly made of metal comprising ladder-like rungs extending between side rails. These ladder-like ramps are believed to provide better traction than ramps having a solid surface. Conventional manufacture of a ladder-like ramp requires that the rungs be positioned on the side rails, clamped or held in position, and then welded or bolted into place. In addition to being expensive to manufacture, the resulting assembled ramp is bulky, and difficult to package, ship and store.
A further problem with conventional ladder-like ramps arises when one of the ramp components is broken or damaged. It is virtually impossible to repair or replace a broken component of a welded ramp without the use of welding equipment. Thus, a broken or damaged ramp component may render the ramp unusable until it can be taken or shipped to a location where such repair equipment is available. The damage may prevent loading or unloading the ATV from the transport vehicle, and thus strand the ATV until repairs can be completed. Even if the ramp components are not welded, but are removably fastened, the large number of fasteners required makes removing and replacing the damaged component a tedious and labor-intensive undertaking.
Thus, a need remains in the art for an improved vehicle ramp that is inexpensive to manufacture, compact to ship and store, relatively lightweight, and that can be easily assembled or repaired without the need for specialized tools or undue labor.